Typical claims: falling tools, ladder damage to customer property, water leaks during installs, dropped tiles through conservatory roofs, debris from scaffolds, damage to underground services. Construction is the highest-volume PL claim sector in the UK, partly because of the volume of activity and partly because of the cost of consequential damage.

Insurer concerns: working at height (anything above 2 metres bumps the rating, above 10 metres significantly), hot works (welding, soldering, blowtorches), labour-only subcontractors, and the line between PL claims and contract works claims. Site safety records and RAMS documentation matter materially at quote stage.

Common exclusions: faulty workmanship (the work itself), damage to the part of the property being worked on (often called "care, custody and control"), heat damage from hot works unless declared, and asbestos handling.

Required add-ons: contract works for the workmanship element, tools cover, employers liability for staff or labour-only helpers, and £5m minimum for any main contractor or CIS site work.

Typical claims: slip and trip on wet floors, falling stock from shelves, broken display fittings cutting customers, automatic door malfunctions, sharp edges on damaged fixtures. Trip and slip claims dominate the volume but a serious head injury from falling stock can produce the biggest single payout.

Insurer concerns: footfall volume (large stores higher than boutiques), the type of stock (glass, ceramics, sharp tools are higher risk), staff training on hazard reporting, and shopfront and signage condition. Most shop policies bundle PL with stock and contents on a combined policy.

Common exclusions: deliberate theft by staff (covered separately), damage to your own stock or fixtures, customer property left in store (often capped), and outdoor pavement areas the local authority maintains.

Required add-ons: shop contents, stock cover, glass and shopfront, and £2m PL minimum (£5m for larger units or shopping centre leases). See shop insurance for combined cover options.

Typical claims: food poisoning, allergic reactions, scalds from hot drinks, slips on tiled or polished floors, broken glass injuries, accidental damage to customer property and clothing. Allergen claims have grown sharply since Natasha's Law and now carry some of the biggest individual payouts.

Insurer concerns: kitchen procedures and allergen controls, staff food safety training (level 2 minimum, level 3 for chefs), FSA rating, alcohol licensing, opening hours, and the size of the venue. Late-night licensed premises rate higher than daytime cafes for the same square footage.

Common exclusions: deliberate contamination, alcohol-induced incidents involving intoxicated customers, food poisoning where no allergen disclosure was followed, and outdoor seating in non-demised public areas.

Required add-ons: products liability built in (essential for food businesses), employers liability for staff, contents and stock cover, and £5m PL minimum for licensed venues. See restaurant insurance and pub insurance.

Typical claims: allergic reactions to dye, wax or lash glue, chemical burns from bleach or perm solutions, scalds from heat tools, eye injuries during lash treatments, and infection claims from non-sterile equipment. Aesthetic procedures (botox, fillers, lasers) carry the highest claim costs and need treatment liability on top of PL.

Insurer concerns: staff qualifications (NVQ level 3 minimum for most procedures), patch testing records, sterilisation protocols, premises condition, and whether aesthetics are performed (a different rating entirely). Mobile beauticians visiting client homes need separate cover for working away from base.

Common exclusions: aesthetic treatments unless explicitly added, training treatments performed by unqualified staff, and any treatment performed without a documented patch test.

Required add-ons: treatment liability for any procedure beyond basic hair and nails, products liability for retail product sales, and £2m PL minimum (£5m if aesthetics are performed). See salon insurance.

Typical claims: knocked-over TVs and ornaments, water damage from over-spillage, scratched floors from carpet equipment, broken windows from window cleaning, and chemical damage to fabrics or surfaces. The TV-off-the-wall claim is the cleaner's classic and the reason most policies need at least £1m on the limit.

Insurer concerns: the types of premises cleaned (commercial offices low risk, hotels mid, listed buildings high), chemical handling, working at height for window cleaners, and key-holder arrangements. Commercial cleaning contractors often need higher PL limits than domestic-only operators.

Common exclusions: theft by staff from client premises (covered separately under fidelity), damage to high-value items not disclosed, damage during deep cleans of properties with hoarding, and electrical damage from water spillage on equipment.

Required add-ons: care, custody and control extension (critical for cleaners handling client property), employers liability if staff are employed, and £2m PL minimum (£5m for commercial contract work).

Typical claims: loose handrails causing falls, faulty boilers causing CO incidents, slippery communal stairs, falling roof tiles, defective wiring causing fires, and pest infestations affecting tenant property. Property owner liability has more risk than most landlords realise because the responsibility persists even between tenancies.

Insurer concerns: Gas Safe and EICR certification status, fire safety compliance (smoke alarms, fire doors in HMOs), CO alarms, maintenance records, and the type of tenants (DSS, students, professionals all rate differently). HMO landlords pay higher than single-let landlords for the same building.

Common exclusions: tenant injury where statutory inspections weren't current, damage during void periods over 30-60 days, and incidents arising from unauthorised tenant modifications.

Required add-ons: buildings cover, loss of rent, malicious damage by tenants, and £2m to £5m PL bundled with the buildings policy. See landlord insurance and HMO landlord insurance.

Typical claims: collapsed gazebos in wind, equipment falling onto attendees, trip hazards from cables and stall pegs, food allergy reactions from sampled product, and structural failure of staging or rigging. Bouncy castles, inflatables and rides carry separate elevated risk and usually need specific cover.

Insurer concerns: outdoor versus indoor events, attendance numbers, whether children are present, any inflatables or rides, alcohol service, the duration of the event, and prior claims history. One-off festival cover prices differently to annual market trader cover.

Common exclusions: weather-cancellation losses (separate event cancellation cover required), structural collapse from improper setup, inflatables without PIPA certification, and food poisoning where no allergen records were kept.

Required add-ons: £5m PL minimum (£10m for larger venues), products liability for any traded goods, employers liability for staff or volunteers under your control, and equipment cover for stalls and stock. See bouncy castle PL for inflatables.

Typical claims: damage to customer property during delivery, parcels left in unsafe locations that cause injury, dog bites and trip hazards on residential properties, vehicle damage to driveways or gates, and accidental damage to high-value items in transit. Delivery PL sits alongside goods-in-transit cover but doesn't replace it.

Insurer concerns: delivery type (food, parcels, white goods), vehicle weights, the operating area, dispatch routing systems, and whether the operation handles fragile or high-value items. Food delivery drivers using the same vehicle for taxi work need both use classes on the policy.

Common exclusions: theft of unattended packages, damage where parcels were left in unsafe locations against company policy, and high-value items not specifically declared at quote.

Required add-ons: goods in transit (essential for couriers), commercial vehicle cover, employers liability for any driver employees, and £2m PL minimum (£5m if working under contract for major platforms). See goods in transit insurance.